Finding Home
by Sirius-Priy-Black
Summary: Nora Grey: new identity, new home, new school. Just as she is adjusting to her new life, Nora meets Patch- a mysterious transfer at her new school. She is drawn to him almost immediately, but is he hiding something from her that could change everything?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! This is my first Hush, Hush fanfiction. I got this idea in the morning and spent the afternoon writing this chapter. I hope you like it. :D Disclaimer: I do not own anything. :P **

'_Josh, Katy, sit down. I need to talk to you." My mom looked at my brother and me solemnly. Josh and I had just gotten back from a mutual friend's birthday party. We looked at each other but sat at the dining room table, facing our mom. _

_She took a deep breath. "Do you remember your father's client; Rixon?"her voice sounded broken; uneasy._

_We both nodded. Our dad was an accountant and Rixon was one of his most prominent clients. _

"_Earlier today, your father witnessed Rixon shoot someone." My mom waited for a reaction from us._

"_Where is dad?" Josh asked slowly._

_Mom took another deep breath and held her head in her hands. "He's gone. Rixon killed him." She burst into tears._

_I saw Josh get up and leave the table from the corner of my eye, but I remained still; feeling my world come crashing down._

That was six months ago and to this day, I still remember every fateful moment from it. I jumped when I heard a sharp tap at the door.

"Katy, that's probably Detective Briel, can you get it?" My mom called to me from upstairs.

Detective Briel was our family liaison officer and was coming to talk to us about the recent threats we had been receiving.

I opened the door to see Detective Daniel Briel (**A/N: Virtual cookies to whoever gets the reference!) **standing in the doorway. He was wearing a black shirt with grey trousers.

"Hey detective" I greeted him, stepping aside to let him in.

"Good evening Katy. How are you?" he asked, walking in to the house.

"Scared to leave my house." I said simply.

Detective Briel responded with a sympathetic smile. "Your mum and I have a solution- we just need to run it by Josh and yourself."

As if on cue, the front door opened again and Josh walked in, his short black hair was covered by his favourite grey beanie hat and he was wearing ripped jeans with a Metallica t-shirt. He was my twin, meaning we'd grown up being the best of friends.

"Right, I'm here. What's this 'meeting' about?" Josh asked, walking into the dining room. He took a seat and I sat by him. Daniel remained standing, leaning against one of the chairs.

"We'll just wait for your mum to come-"he started

"I'm here" my mom walked in and smiled at us, taking the seat opposite to us. This scene was all too familiar.

"Last time we were sat around like this- our lives changed forever. What's going on?" Josh asked, as though he'd read my mind.

Daniel sighed and rubbed his chin as though he were deep in thought. He glanced at my mom who nodded at him.

"Would someone just tell us what the hell is going on?" Josh demanded

"Josh" I said, knowing I was the only one who could calm him down.

"Okay, we can't go on living like this anymore." Mom said "Katy- you're too afraid to leave the house. Josh- you want to kill everyone you see and...I just can't do this anymore."

Daniel stepped in "And for your own safety, we decided that it would be best if you guys move up to Coldwater, near Maine. Start a new life, have a new identity...Rixon's people will never be able to find you. You'll be able to start fresh."

Josh and I sat in stunned silence. Leave New Jersey? The place we'd grown up, the place that held all of our memories...memories of our dad.

"I think we should go" Josh said finally.

I shot him a 'what are you talking about?' look.

He looked at me. "Kay- when dad died, it automatically made me the man of the house. My job is to protect you and mom...I'll do whatever it takes to do that. Anyway...this place...it holds too many bad memories."

"Plus" mom said "Vee lives up there- you'll get to go to her school and everything" she pointed out.

Vee had been my best friend since the day I was born and last year, her and her family had moved to Maine.

I nodded slowly "New identities?" I asked

Daniel nodded. "Completely. You have a selection of profiles to choose from and once you've made a decision- you'll be given new passports, new birth certificates...new everything."

"It's our only option Katy. We can't keep living in fear." My mom said taking my hand in hers, she took Josh's hand in her other hand.

I took a deep breath. "Let's do it."

Two weeks later and I was standing in my new bedroom in a farmhouse on the outskirts of Coldwater.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I still _looked_ the same. My smoky eyes and my curly brunette hair still looked the same.

My identity, however, had completely changed.

I had gone from being Katy Parnell to Nora Grey within a week. Josh was now Scott Grey and mom was Blythe Grey. Once again, our lives had changed. I sighed.

"Nora! Get down here! Vee and her family will be here soon."

I smiled at myself. The last time I had seen Vee was six months ago, at dad's funeral and I'd missed her. A lot.

I bounded down the stairs and helped my mum to set up the dining room table.

Josh...I mean, Scott walked into the dining room.

"Guess whose car just pulled up in the drive way?" He grinned at me. The three of us- Vee, Scott and me- had always been close.

A few minutes later, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" I said, all but running to the door.

I flung open the door and saw a pair of green eyes staring at me. Vee.

"You must be Nora" she smirked at me. Mom had said the Sky family knew about everything that had happened.

I grinned at her "Nora Grey" I extended my hand "Nice to meet you"

Vee ignored my hand and pulled me into a hug. Vee was my complete opposite: green eyes, blond hair and all curves. That didn't stop us from being joined at the hip though.

After our reunion with the family, I showed Vee around the house.

"So, you and...Scott are starting school on Monday?" Vee asked me, as we took our places at the dinner table.

I nodded "I'm a bit nervous" I admitted

"Well, I've talked to the principal and she's made sure you're in all of my classes- I think Scott's in most of ours." Vee grinned at me.

Jos- Scott and Vee had always had a thing for each other. They wouldn't admit it- to themselves or each other- but it was obvious. I had no problem with it; I actually thought it was pretty cute.

The rest of the night passed fairly quickly, with Vee suggesting that she'd show me around the next day. I said I'd think about it.

I did end up going to town with Vee on Sunday. She showed me Delphic Seaport and showed me Enzo's Bistro- one of the 'cool' hang-outs, along with Borderline. She also pointed out 'Bo's Arcade' making it clear that she didn't really go there often.

Scott joined us later for dinner at the Borderline and Vee dropped us back at our house in her Neon.

Before I knew it, Monday had arrived. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a blue short sleeved t-shirt. I walked downstairs and was greeted by Scott. He was wearing black three-quarter length trousers and a plain red t-shirt. His beanie sat loosely on his head.

"Ready for our first day sis?" he asked, draping his arm around me.

"Nope...but at least the three of us will be together." I said

"It'll be fine. I promise." Scott kissed my forehead. "You saw mom before she left right?"

I nodded and smiled at him. Daniel had arranged for mom to get a job at an auction company so she had to leave home at 6am...she made a point of coming to say bye to me at 5.40 in the morning.

_BEEP BEEP_

"Vee's here" I chuckled when Scott jumped at the sound of the car horn.

"This is it." He said picking up his backpack. "The first official day of our new lives."

**A/N: So...thoughts/constructive criticism? What did you guys think? :') I'm in the process of writing chapter two so it should be up soon. :D Priy xx**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is chapter two! Hope you guys enjoy. :D Disclaimer: Becca Fitzpatrick owns everything. I own nothing. I WISH I owned Patch though. :P**

It was just after lunch and I walked into my first Biology class as Nora Grey. I took a seat next to Vee and tapped my fingers against the table.

The first half of the day had actually gone okay, minus the 'ooh she's the new girl' looks I was receiving.

"This class is a joke." Vee stated, causing me to laugh.

Just then, Scott walked in, scanning the classroom. He spotted us and smiled, making his way over. "Hey there" he greeted

"Hey" Vee and I said in unison

"What happened to you at lunch?" I asked "I was looking out for you but I couldn't find you...you didn't even answer your cell."

"Ah sorry- I had met some guys and had lunch with them" he shrugged

I smiled, I was glad he was making friends. Vee had introduced me to some of her friends, but she informed me that I was still her best friend.

Just then the bell rang "I better take a seat" Scott said, and sat at the table behind us. I rolled my eyes at him, but was secretly happy that he was nearby.

"Welcome back from your summer break" a booming voice turned my attention to the front of the class "I hope you all had a good summer."

"That's Coach McConaughy" Vee whispered "HE LOVES me" her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Just as Coach was about to say something, I heard the door open ad footsteps walk in.

"Sorry I'm late." A guy's voice said. I didn't bother to look up but I could hear him walking behind me and then pulling the chair behind me- so he was sitting next to Scott.

"As I was about to say- we have three new pupils joining us. So I thought we could start with them making a little introduction." Fantastic. I'd avoided doing this in nearly every other class.

"Nora Grey, Scott Grey and Patch Cipriano." Coach continued "Please come to the front"

I cringed internally but dragged my chair back and walked to the front, keeping my eyes planted to the ground. I stood next to Scott, not bothering to look at the third new guy.

"Scott- tell us something about yourself" Coach said

"Well, I'm Scott Grey. I play the bass guitar and pool. I'm just your average guy." Scott introduced himself coolly.

By the childish giggling, I could tell that Scott had ended that with his boyish grin.

"Thank you for that Scott" Coach nodded at him "You can sit down now."

Scott squeezed my shoulder and then took his seat.

"Nora- your turn."

I took a deep breath and looked up at the class, everyone's eyes were on me.

"Hey. I'm Nora Grey and I'm nowhere near as interesting as my _darling _brother over there." the class laughed- a good sign. "But I'm definitely the cooler sibling" more laughter.

"And hotter!" a voice from the back called which earned him a glare from Scott.

I shrugged my shoulder. "That's it really." and then I took my seat.

"Patch, you're up."

I looked up and that's when I saw him. Patch.

He was tall, lean and muscular. His hair rested just underneath his ears and he wore a ball cap. His black eyes met mine and he smiled a dark, alluring smile at me.

I smiled back, blushing.

"My name's Patch. I play pool, my favourite sport is boxing and..I'm charming as hell." He winked at one of the girls in the back, and every single girl (minus Vee and myself) erupted into giggles.

I rolled my eyes, knowing Patch could see. He simply smirked at me and headed back to his seat. I could hear him and Scott talking in whispered voices behind me. Probably about pool.

"Right- let's start!" Coach's voice pulled my thoughts away from Patch.

What felt like hours later, the end of the day bell rang.

"Thank God that's over" Vee said, getting up.

We both stood up and started to leave when Scott stopped us in our tracks.

"Vee? Can I have a word?" Scott asked

Vee looked at me, as though seeking my blessing.

"Go, go" I told her "I'll meet you guys by my locker in ten minutes?"

They both nodded and wandered off together.

I sighed and swept my books up.

"Been ditched?" a voice behind me said- Patch. I groaned internally but turned around.

"Can I help you?" I asked, a little ruder than intended.

Patch grinned "No, just making an observation."

"Well, for your information- I haven't been _ditched_." I snapped

"Your brother and best friend just walked away...leaving you alone...I'd say you've been ditched."

"Well, I didn't really ask for your opinion did I?"

He smiled his annoyingly beautiful smile "I'm just messing, Angel."

"_What_ did you just call me?" I demanded

His grin widened. "Just a nickname" he shrugged.

I rolled my eyes, wondering how many girls he'd used this 'nickname' on.

"I have to go." I said, turning to leave. Patch stepped in front of me.

"What is your problem?" I asked

"You." He winked at me.

I groaned. I knew his type. Painfully attractive but also painfully full of themselves.

"I'll walk you to your locker" he continued.

"I'm good thanks." I replied, side-stepping him. He simply stepped in front of me again. "We're not performing a dance here, Patch."

He laughed.

"I can walk myself to my locker. Thanks anyway." I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Suit yourself" he shrugged. "See you around...Angel" he stepped out of my way and I shook my head, leaving him alone in the classroom.

The rest of the week seemed to fly by and before I knew it was Friday evening. I was sprawled on my bedroom floor, trying to figure out what to do tonight.

Just then, there was a knock on my door.

"Come in" I called, decreasing the volume of my music.

"Hey" Scott said, sitting on the floor, leaning against my bed.

"What's up?" I asked, sitting up.

"You got any plans for tonight?" he asked

"None at all." I shook my head.

"Good. Because you do know." He grinned at me

"Oh yeah?"

Scott nodded. "We're going to Delphic."

"We?" I repeated

"Me, you, Vee and Patch."

"_Patch?_" I repeated

"Yeah...Patch...something wrong with Patch?" Scott asked staring at me.

"He's...infuriating!" I groaned

Scott laughed. "You get used to him. He's a pretty cool guy actually. I know he thinks your pretty cool."

I raised an eyebrow. I bet he did.

"Hurry up and get ready. Vee's gonna be here soon." Scott got up and walked out of my room, closing the door.

An hour later and the three of us stood at the entrance of a very busy Delphic.

"Where exactly are we meeting Patch?" I asked Scott.

"Here" Scott grinned. He had his arm around Vee's waist; I kind of guessed what their little talk on Monday was about.

"There he is" Vee said. I looked up and sure enough, Patch approached us. He was wearing black jeans and a plain black t-shirt...and of course, his ball cap.

"Do you _ever _take that cap off?" I asked when he reached us.

"Hello to you too." Patch grinned at me "and the cap? Nope. It stays on my head."

"What...even in the shower?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You think about me showering, Angel?" Patch asked.

I heard Vee and Scott stifling laughter. I glared at them and then turned back to Patch.

"Get over yourself" I told him "And. Stop. Calling. Me. Angel."

At the end of the evening, Patch and I were standing by the entrance again. Vee and Scott had gone to get Vee's neon and Patch offered to wait with me.

"Nora" Wow. He was actually capable of calling me by name. "I feel we got off on the wrong foot." Observant. "Start over?"

I sighed. "Fine." I said. "Hi, I'm Nora" I smirked.

Patch smiled. "Hi Nora, I'm Patch."

"There we go." I said "You _do _know how to act like a nice guy."

"I don't like it very much." He replied.

"Well get used to it."

Before Patch could respond, I saw the Neon stop in front of us.

"See you Monday" I said and made my way to the car.

Scott rolled down the passenger seat window. "Patch- you need a ride?" he called

"Nah- I've got the jeep" Patch grinned.

A jeep? What kind of seventeen year old needed a _jeep_?

Patch saw my shell shocked expression and winked at me. "Bye, Angel." He called.

Once a jerk; always a jerk.

**A/N: Liked it? I hope! Haha. Chapter three should be on it's way soon. :D xx**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews and such. ^_^ Here is chapter three. Enjoy. :D Disclaimer: Becca Ftzpatrick owns everything. **

The next week at school was completely different to my first week.

People stopped referring to us as the 'new ones' and we seemed to fit in straight away. But we also made an enemy...

_It was Tuesday afternoon and the three of us- Scott, Vee and me- were leaving school when we were stopped by a tall, skinny, strawberry blond girl. Her face was caked in makeup and she looked exactly like a 'plastic'._

"_Marcie Millar" Vee informed Scott and I. "My worst enemy."_

"_Oh hey Vee" Marcie replied in a sickly sweet, fake voice. Her smile matched her tone of voice. _

"_Marcie." Vee replied, sourly._

"_How's the diet going?" Marcie eyed Vee "Not good obviously." _

_Wasn't she nice?_

_Scott stepped forward, he towered over Marcie. "Got a problem?" he asked_

"_None of your business, newbie." Marcie said "Now get out of my face" _

"_Don't talk to my brother like that" I stepped forward. _

"_Don't talk to me newbie." Marcie shot at me. _

"_Leave them out of this" Vee glared at Marcie._

"_What are you going to do Vee? Sit on me?" _

_I saw Scott tense up so I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Leave it Scott. She's not even worth it." _

_Scott stepped back, putting his arm around Vee. _

"_You three better watch yourselves." Marcie said, before turning and walking away. _

"Nora?" Vee's voice rang through my head.

I blinked and turned to face Vee "What?" I asked

"I said- why is Patch glaring at you?"

I frowned. It was Friday lunch time and Vee and I were sat in the cafeteria.

"Where is he?" I asked, scanning the hall.

Vee gestured to a table in the far corner, where I saw Patch, Scott and a few of their other friends. Vee was right, his black eyes were focused on me, but they weren't playful or gentle as they were last week. Just...cold.

"What did you do to piss him off?" Vee asked, taking a bite of her burger.

"I- I have no idea." I genuinely had no idea why Patch seemed to be annoyed at me. We'd hardly spoken since last Friday at Delphic.

Vee shrugged it off. "He's probably having a bad day or something."

"Mm" I said, glancing back at the table. Patch was no longer looking at me but seemed to be laughing at something Scott had just said. I kept my eyes on him and then, catching me completely off guard, he turned back to look at me. He had stopped laughing and just stared at me. Not even a smile, a wink...nothing. I frowned and looked down at my tray.

Great. Two weeks here and I'd already pissed off two people.

My mom was away for the weekend so Scott and I spent that evening watching movies and ordered in a take away.

"Scott?" I said, keeping my voice casual.

"Yeah?" He asked

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure" Scott paused the movie. "What's up?"

"Is...is Patch annoyed at me?" I asked

Scott frowned and shook his head "Not that I know of." He replied "Why?"

"I don't know...I mean, it's probably just me being paranoid but it seemed like he was...glaring at me at lunch today."

"He can be a moody jerk sometimes" Scott laughed "I wouldn't take it personally."

I nodded slowly.

"Why do you care anyway? I thought you hated the guy."

"I do...I mean...I don't care. I just...wondered."

Scott shrugged "I'm seeing him tomorrow; want me to ask him about it?"

"No!" I said, almost too quickly.

Scott laughed and we went back to watching the movie.

"So...Scott and I are officially going out." Vee grinned at me. We were sat a very packed borderline the following evening, waiting to be served.

I laughed "I kind of gathered that Vee"

"That obvious?" she grinned

"I think the whole of our school know...including faculty."

Vee cringed slightly but luckily she was saved by a waitress coming over to take our order.

"Sorry about the wait ladies, what will it be?" she smiled at us.

"Two cokes and two burritos please" I told her.

After she had left, Vee gasped and then grinned.

"What?" I asked, curiously.

"Patch and Scott are here!" Vee said

"What?" I turned my head around and saw Scott, followed by a serious looking Patch, walking towards us.

"Mind if we join you?" Scott grinned at us.

"Go for it!" Vee said. I shot her a glare and she mouthed a 'sorry'. They both slid into the booth with us, Patch sitting directly opposite to me.

All of a sudden, Scott's phone started to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and raised an eyebrow.

"What's up?" I asked him.

He showed me the caller ID:

Detective Briel.

"You better get that." I told him. Scott nodded in agreement and he slid out of the seat and walked away, the cell pressed to his ear.

"Who was that?" Vee asked curiously.

"Daniel...a family friend." I said, feigning a smile.

The three of us sat in silence before Vee excused herself to go the ladies. I shot her a 'don't leave me here alone with him' look. She shrugged apologetically before walking away...leaving Patch and I alone.

"So. Have you started the Bio assignment?" I asked awkwardly

"Look, Nora, I don't want to sound rude, but I'm not interested in anything. Just friends." Patch said, looking at me.

I stared at him in awe. Was he being serious?

"Excuse me?" I said

"The whole 'angel' business...it was just a joke. I didn't want you to get the wrong impression and then get hurt."

I couldn't believe it. He was _actually_ being serious.

"You...You're a bigger jerk than I thought." I looked at him incredulously.

Before he had a chance to respond, Scott walked back over to us.

He looked at Patch and then at me. "Everything okay?" he asked, obviously sensing the tension.

"Yeah" Patch smiled easily.

"Nora?" Scott looked at me.

"Everything's fine." I said through gritted teeth. "But...Vee and I need to leave." I said quickly as Vee approached the table.

"We do?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. We do." I said, jumping up and throwing her a desperate look.

"OH!..Right. We do need to leave." Vee said quickly

"See you at home Scott" I said before grabbing Vee's hand and quickly making my way out of Borderline.

As soon as we stepped into my house, Vee stopped me in my tracks. "Talk to me Nora. Why did we _have_ to leave so early?" she demanded

I sighed and told her everything that Patch had said.

"He likes you." Vee concluded after hearing me out.

I stared at her. Now, she had gone insane too. "Did you just listen to a word I said?"

Vee sighed in exasperation "One week, he's all over you. The next, he's got this 'playing hard to get' act going on. Next week he'll be all over you again. I guarantee it."

I rolled my eyes, but I was slightly curious. What _was_ next week going to be like?

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Want to know what next week's gonna be like for Nora and Patch? You'll have to wait until chapter 4. ;) Priy xx **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews and such! Sorry it took longer than expected, but here is chapter 4! Also, well done to PatchsFallenAngel and KayEmm for correctly spotting the 'Fallen' reference! Virtual cookies for both of you. ;D Disclaimer: I, sadly, own nothing.**

It was Monday morning and I was walking into Biology with Vee. I did a quick-scan of the room and my eyes widened with shock when I noticed Patch sitting in Vee's usual spot. Before I could do anything, Vee marched over to our table, glaring at Patch.

"I think you'll find that's _**my**_ seat" She told him.

Patch smiled, looking as though he was about to laugh. He rubbed his jaw and caught my eye, I quickly looked away. I could feel his eyes resting on me.

"Talk to Coach, not me" Patch replied to Vee.

Vee and I turned around to see Coach looking directly at us from his seat.

"Is there a problem ladies?" he asked

"Yes, there is actually." Vee said "Patch appears to be sitting in my seat."

"I am fully aware of that Miss Sky. I sat him there."

Vee and I stared at Coach incredulously.

"We're trying out a new seating plan. Vee, you're now next to Scott." Coach told us.

This new revelation seemed to put a smile on Vee's face.

I turned to her "What am I going to do?" I mouthed

She shrugged apologetically "It'll be fine" she whispered and went to sit in her new seat. Scott grinned when she came to sit next to him. I rolled my eyes.

"Nora, can you take your seat now please? You're next to Patch." Coach said

I sighed and sat at the desk, purposely moving my chair as far away from Patch as possible. I could see him smiling his dark smile from the corner of my eye.

"Ok class, I want you all to open up at page 133 and do activity a in your pairs. Work quietly."

I groaned internally and opened my textbook, keeping my eyes firmly on the page.

I dared looking to my side. Patch was staring at me, an easy smile on his face.

Now he was smiling at me?

"Nora-"Patch started.

"Okay, one week, you're acting all flirty, the next you act like you hate me and practically tell me to leave you alone and now you're back to being nice. What are you playing at?" I demanded.

"I know- and I'm sorry about last week. I didn't mean to be rude." Patch said. He actually sounded sincere.

I looked at him, prompting him to carry on.

He rubbed his jaw, like he had earlier, as though he was struggling to find the right words.

"Nora, I like you. I mean...I _**really**_ like you but I'm not...ready for a relationship again. So I thought by acting like a jerk to you, you'd hate me and I could leave you alone. It wasn't that easy though. I haven't stopped thinking about you. So I figured trying to be friends with you would be better than not being near you at all." Patch said his voice full dripping with honesty and sincerity.

I looked at him, trying to process everything he had just said. I was not expecting that. I mean...did I like Patch? He was gorgeous and when he wasn't acting like an arrogant jerk, he was actually quite nice. But there was something about him that told me I should be careful.

Friends? Sure, I could do that.

"Yeah...okay...friends." I agreed. "Just quit acting like a jerk alright? It drives me up the wall."

Patch laughed "Promise." He said.

"HE SAID HE LIKES YOU?" Vee and I were sat in the library after school and I was filling her in on the conversation that took place between Patch and me.

"Quiet!" The librarian whispered at us.

"Sorry" I whispered back, and dragged Vee by the arm out of the library and to her neon.

"You like him too right?" she asked once we were safely out of hearing distance.

I shrugged "I suppose. But that doesn't matter. He said he's not ready for a relationship and just wants to be friends. We'll have to see what happens in the future."

"Just friends? Right, because _that _always works out." Vee smirked at me

I knew she was referring to Scott and herself. "Vee, the situation between Patch and I is so different" I pointed out "He doesn't even want a relationship."

"I think he does." Vee said. "I also think that he just had a messy relationship, which didn't end well and he's scared to act on his feelings. He's exactly like you."

"I'm not scared!"

Vee gave me a look.

"Ok, maybe I'm a little bit scared, but-"before I could carry on, I saw Scott walking towards us.

"Following us?" I asked him as he approached us.

Scott considered this for a minute and then nodded. "Well...Vee. Not you" he replied, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes "What do you want Scott?"

Scott looked at the ground sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "I was wondering if I could steal Vee away from you" he mumbled.

I laughed "Go for it."

Vee took the keys of the neon and got in. "We'll drop you on the way to..wherever he wants to take me." She offered

I shook my head "I'm going to go back to the library for a bit and then I'll walk home."

"By yourself?" Scott asked, frowning.

"Well..yes Scott." I met his concerned gaze "I'll be fine" I assured him.

"Mom's not gonna be home until late, so text me when you get in okay?" he asked

I smiled. Scott was such a softie. "Will do. Now go and have fun lovebirds!"

What felt like hours later, I glanced at my cell phone which informed that it was 7.15pm. I looked out of the window; it was pretty dark and I had only remaining bar of battery so I decided to make a move. I gathered my things, thanked the librarian and walked outside.

The wind was howling and causing the branches of trees to whip against each other. I could feel the cold piercing against my skin and so I pulled my jacket closer to my body. The streets were practically empty and eerily silent apart from the howling of the wind. I immediately felt uncomfortable so I increased my speed. I was approaching an alley-way where I saw a group of guys, all holding beer cans cursing at one another. I kept my eyes on the ground. I could feel their eyes boring into me as I walked past them. They began wolf-whistling and calling out crude names.

I took a deep breath. 'Ignore it and they'll stop. You're almost home.' I told myself.

I finally got past the alleyway but I could still hear their voices..they sounded closer. I dared glancing over my shoulder and to my horror...they were following me.

Ok. This would be a good time to panic. I had two options: Fight. Or run.

I liked the sound of the latter.

I gulped and started to pick up my pace.

"Hey, where you running to pretty lady?" one of the drunkards called out.

"We play nice" one of his cooed

I continued my fast pace and kept my eyes on ground. I could hear footsteps nearing me and I looked up to see they had formed a wall in front of me.

"We asked you a question" a tall, scary looking drunkard said. His breath stank of alcohol and...weed.

"Please leave me alone." I said, but it came out sounding like a question.

The men burst into laughter.

The tall one stepped towards me, stroking my chin. "Leave a pretty girl like you? No chance" he breathed.

I could feel tears stinging in my eyes, and my legs had turned to jelly; to weak to even move.

I shut my eyes, expecting the worst.

"Is there a problem here?" a familiar, soothing voice asked. It was Patch.

I opened my eyes, to see Patch, who was now standing beside me, with his arm draped around my shoulders.

The tall guy stepped back, clearly fearing Patch. His friends copied him.

"Um...no problem." They all replied

"Then I suggest you leave...now." Patch said.

The guys didn't move at first, but Patch sent their ring-leader a menacing look and they soon hurried off.

Patch stepped in front of me and gently lifted my chin so that I was looking at him.

"You're okay now" he promised, and that's when I realised that I had been crying.

I nodded "thank you" I managed to say.

Patch smiled slightly "Can you walk?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

I tried but it just resulted in me falling forward; Patch was at the ready and caught me before I fell face flat on the ground.

He lifted me gently, like you'd hold a baby.

"It's not far from your house" he said "I'll walk you there."

I nodded and tucked my head into his chest, realising my tears would probably stain his shirt...

Minutes later, Patch whispered my name.

"I'm gonna need to put you down, but I won't let you fall. I promise." He said.

I looked around me and noticed we were standing outside my house. All the lights were off, indicating that no-one was in.

Patch gently helped me back on my feet and held onto me, so I wouldn't fall.

"Keys?" he asked, laughing softly.

Right. Keys.

I fumbled around in my pocket and attempted to open the door, but my hands were still shaking.

"May I?" Patch asked.

I nodded and handed him the key. With his free hand, he opened the door and walked us in.

He led me into the living room and sat me by the fireplace. He lit the fire and helped me take my jacket off and replaced it with a blanket.

"I'll go get you some water" he said, and a few minutes later he returned with a glass of water and a bar of chocolate. "You need to get some energy back. Your body has had quite a shock."

I took the chocolate and the glass from him, wiping my tears away with the blanket.

"Thank you again Patch" I said after sipping some water "I...I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't turned up."

"You don't have to thank me. Just promise you won't walk alone in the dark..it's really not safe." Patch replied.

"Yes officer" I replied, smiling weakly.

"Officer?" Patch asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You just sound like someone I know" I replied, thinking of Detective Briel.

Patch smiled and looked at his watch. "I should probably be going but...are you going to be ok?" he asked.

I nodded. "Scott should be home – SHIT." I jumped up.

"What?" Patch looked alarmed.

"I promised Scott I'd text him when I got home." I pulled out my cell, and the screen was black. No battery.

"It's alright- I called him from the kitchen...I told him what happened. I hope you don't mind."

"Ok...thanks." I replied, and without thinking, I wrapped my arms around Patch and I felt his strong arms drape around me.

"I should go" he whispered, his breathe smelt minty fresh.

"Ok" I said, gently pulling back, deliberately making our lips graze.

We both froze; our faces inches away from one another. I moved my face closer to his and then-

"I'm sorry Nora." Patch quickly jumped up. "I can't do this. I'm so sorry."

I looked up at him, feeling my cheeks burning red.

"I'm sorry" he repeated before making his way out of the house.

Well damn.

**A/N: What did you guys think? Reviews and such please?** **Also, would you guys like to see a chapter from Patch's POV?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, firstly, I'm SO sorry for the awfully late update. Things have been so crazy in my life recently, but I'm back and ready to update now!**

**Disclaimer: Alas, I still own nothing.**

**On with it!**

I didn't even bother waiting for Scott to come home and instead went straight up to bed. I was humiliated; making a move on a guy was _not_ something I usually did...it was clearly the effect Patch had on me. I sighed at my stupidity and shut my eyes, clutching my duvet close to myself and hoping to forget the events that took place that night.

I only ended up getting three hours sleep, the rest I spent haunted by the faces of the guys from that night. In my nightmare though, Patch never came to save me.

I was grateful when morning finally arrived and as soon I was ready, I threw on a shirt and a pair of jeans and made my way downstairs. Scott was sitting at the breakfast counter in the kitchen, his back turned to me.

"Hey" I said meekly as I walked into the kitchen.

Scott stood up and immediately walked over to me, pulling me into a hug. He then pulled away and looked at me, his eyes full of worry.

"Are you okay?" He asked, leading me over to the breakfast counter.

I sat myself at one of the stools and shrugged "I didn't sleep very well" I admitted.

Scott nodded slowly, but he seemed distracted.

"Scott...what's going on?" I asked after we'd had some breakfast. He had spent the whole meal throwing glances at the front door.

"I...called Daniel." He hesitated "He thinks the attack may have been intentional...Rixon sending his men after us."

I flinched at the mention of Rixon's name. "How...how would he find us here?" I gulped

Scott shook his head "That's why Daniel's coming here. Mom's due back tomorrow evening...I thought I'd leave it to you to decide when to tell her."

I nodded in appreciation. The last thing we needed was mom cutting her business trip short.

As I got up to clear away our breakfast dishes, Scott called my name. I turned around so that I was facing him again.

"I'm sorry" he said "I'm your brother and I wasn't there to look after you yesterday." I could tell he'd been beating himself up about this for a while.

"You don't have to be sorry Scott...these things happen. And anyway, I'm fine" I forced a smile for his benefit.

Scott nodded once "Thank God for Patch" he commented

As soon as he mentioned Patch's name, my smile faded and I quickly turned away from Scott. Thankfully, the doorbell rang.

I practically ran out of the room to answer the door.

"Detective Briel...hey" I greeted the familiar face at the door.

He smiled warmly at me. "Nora, how are you?" he asked me as he walked into the house.

"I'm...okay." I told him truthfully. He nodded as if he understood.

We both walked into the kitchen where Scott was.

"So...do you really think those jerks from last night could have been Rixon's men?" I asked bluntly, surprising both the guys.

"It's possible." Daniel informed us "He's got men all over the country- Rixon's a powerful man."

I nodded and watched Daniel and Scott as they talked animatedly for a while.

"Nora, is there any chance that you remember what the thugs from last night look like?" Detective Briel asked gently.

I closed my eyes, trying to force myself to remember. A few minutes later, I opened my eyes again. "No" I said apologetically.

"That's okay." Briel said "Scott tells me a friend of yours...Patch? was the one who helped you out last night." _Helped_ being an understatement.

I nodded.

"Great- Is there any way you could call him and ask him to come here as soon as? I'd like a word with him."

"My phone's still dead." I said quickly, really not wanting to see Patch, let alone talk to him on the phone.

"I'll call him over" Scott offered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Twenty minutes later and I saw Patch pull into our driveway in his jeep from my bedroom window.

I took a deep breath and made my way downstairs, sitting next to Daniel on the couch. Moments later, Scott and Patch made their way into the room. I made a note of looking at everyone but Patch- refusing to make eye contact with him.

I did catch the look Detective Briel gave him though. A sort of...knowing look. As if he Briel knew Patch from somewhere...

Hours seemed to pass by, Scott and I simply sitting there as Detective Briel asking Patch various questions. Occasionally Daniel would ask me something but today his main focus was Patch.

I accidentally caught myself staring at Patch when I thought he wasn't looking. All of a sudden, his eyes met mine. They were filled with...regret?

I quickly looked away, angry at myself for getting caught and angry at Patch for being the only person to ever make me feel this way.

I excused myself and escaped to the upstairs bathroom. I stood by the sink and splashed some water on my face, and then looked up at the mirror. 'Relax, Nora. You've never had such an interest in guys before. Especially guys like Patch.' I told myself.

Moments later, I took a deep breath and started to make my way down the stairs. In the hallway, Patch was seeing Detective Briel out.

'Just...do whatever it takes ok?' I heard Daniel tell Patch.

"Do whatever it takes to...what?" I questioned, walking down the stairs.

"To try and identify the guys from last night." Patch informed me. It was the first time he'd spoken directly to me all day.

"Patch has kindly agreed to come down to the station this evening" Briel commented

"You're working down here now?" I asked Daniel

He nodded "Managed to get myself transferred here."

There was a moment's pause and then Daniel turned to open the door.

Before he left, he looked at me and said "Be sure to keep Patch in your life, Nora. He's a good guy to have around."

I looked at my feet and out of the corner of my eye I could see Patch smirking. Arrogant jerk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been two hours since Daniel left and Patch and Scott were playing video games downstairs. I had managed to escape to my room, mumbling something about an 'English assignment', I instantly regretted it; realising Patch was in my English class and he knew very well there was no assignment. Luckily he didn't say anything about it.

I was pacing around my room, waiting for Vee to call me back, when there was a knock at my door.

"Come in" I said absent-mindedly

The door opened to reveal Patch. I froze and managed to pull my eyes away from him. He walked into my room and leaned against my desk, crossing his arms.

Neither of us said a word for a minute.

"Is there something you wanted Patch?" I prompted

"You." Patch replied.

I was still reeling from the shock of what he'd just said, when he came over to me, closing the gap between us until our bodies were practically touching.

"I'm sorry...for everything" he said quietly.

I shook my head. Apparently I had lost the ability to talk now.

Patch smiled slightly and put his arm around my waist, pulling me even closer to him.

"I can't fight it anymore." Patch breathed

"Fight what?" I managed to ask.

"My feelings for you"

"Then don't." I suggested abruptly.

That's all it took, and before I knew it, Patch crashed his lips against mine. The kiss started off soft...gentle, but then Patch quickened the pace. I put my hand on the back of his head, gripping his hair in my hand.

Suddenly my phone started to ring.

It made both pull apart and jump back slightly. I groaned and looked at the screen.

"Vee" I informed him

Patch chuckled once. He walked over to me and kissed my forehead.

"Answer it, or she'll crucify me." He laughed again.

"I'll call her-" I started to say but Patch interrupted me by pressing his lips against mine again.

The ringing continued. I sighed as we pulled apart.

I flipped open my phone and pressed it against my ear.

"Hello?" I said, slightly breathlessly.

Patch winked at me before walking out of my room, leaving the door wide open.

**A/N: Well, I hope you guys liked that! Patch finally gave into his feelings then! This certainly isn't the end, believe you me...**

**Reviews would be much appreciated! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hello! Wow, I haven't updated in AGES. I'm so sorry. I've just been so busy with exams, and then my laptop wasn't working and now I've got a whole lot of family things going on. Luckily, my exams are over and my laptop is back. Anyway, here's chapter six. Enjoy!**

The rest of the weekend went by pretty quickly. Mom insisted that Patch stay for dinner on Sunday night as a way of thanking him for "saving my baby".

This brings me to right now...Monday morning. Vee and I were standing by our lockers and I was filling her in on the eventful weekend.

"So...are you and Patch official now or is it all hush hush?" (**A/N: Ha, see what I did there? :') Ahem...sorry, you'll have to excuse me**)

Before I could answer, the man himself sauntered over to us, throwing his arm around me and planting a kiss on my forehead.

"I guess that's my question answered" Vee smirked.

I laughed and Patch looked at me in confusion.

This caused Vee and I to laugh even more and Patch simply shrugged his shoulders just as the bell went.

"We better get to class" I said once I had composed myself.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this." I muttered to myself.

It was Friday night and Vee and I were getting ready for a night out at borderline.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Vee said enthusiastically

"A double date? With you and my brother?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"And Patch" Vee reminded me.

I smiled at the mention of Patch's name. "Whatever. It'll still be weird."

The whole week had been...amazing. Things were finally beginning to look up and I knew that I had Patch to thank for that.

Half-an-hour later Vee and I were sat in a booth at borderline, opposite Patch and Scott.

"I told you it wouldn't be weird!" Vee said, a bit louder than necessary.

I shot her a look. "Thank you Vee." I said through gritted teeth.

Patch and Scott looked at one another.

"Why would it be weird?" Patch asked

"We're on a date...with my brother." I pointed out, exasperated

"I don't think it's weird." Scott said "But that's probably because I actually trust and y'know...like Patch."

"Yeah, unlike Elliot." Vee muttered under her breath.

"Who's Elliott?" Patch asked, curiously.

I shot Vee a look and kicked what I thought was her leg under the table.

"You...you just kicked me" Scott suddenly said, looking at me incredulously.

"Sorry, I was aiming for Vee." I replied apologetically

"Seriously...who's Elliot?" Patch asked again.

"Nora's jerk of an ex-boyfriend." Scott answered.

I kicked his leg again, glaring at him.

"You kicked me again" Scott pointed out

"I know." I replied, sending him a deathly glare.

"He was a jerk? What did he do?" Patch asked.

I sighed. "He acted like he loved me and was the perfect boyfriend; I put my complete trust in him. Then I saw him cheating on me...with someone who I thought was my friend. I confronted him about it and he was apologetic and so sincere...so I forgave him. Turns out that was a big mistake. I found out he'd be on cheating me the whole time we'd been together. The day dad died...Elliot broke up with me- he phoned me and told me...he didn't even ask why I was crying."

Patch had now swapped places with Vee and was sitting beside me; his arm gripped tightly around my shoulder.

He pulled me closer to him. "If I ever meet him, he'll be dead. I swear to God." Patch swore.

I laughed once "Thank you but I don't need you to beat him up-"

"Yeah, I already did that" Scott interrupted, earning him a slap on the back of the head from Vee.

"Knowing that you'll never hurt me is enough." I continued

"You can always trust me, Nora. I will never do anything to hurt you." Patch replied

"I know." I whispered.

Scott cleared his throat loudly. "Sorry to..interrupt, but our food's here and I'm starving"

I rolled my eyes and Patch simply grinned.

"Let's eat then!" I said with fake enthusiasm.

The rest of the meal ran smoothly and later that night, Scott and I were sat up, eating ice-cream out of the tub and watching T.V.

"Just like old times" Scott said, nudging me lightly.

I nodded. "I've missed times like these" I admitted

"So do I." Scott agreed "Hey, do you remember that time dad took us fishing and you caught this really big fish?"

I laughed remembering the story "And me being me, thought I could catch it all by myself"

"So you leaned over the boat, trying to reel it in and ended up falling into the water" Scott finished off, laughing.

"I remember how freaked out dad was...you were just sitting there laughing." I playfully swatted Scott's arm.

"Hey, who jumped in after you and rescued you?"

"Yeah after like twenty minutes!"

"It was only about five minutes!"

Scott and I were now facing each other, arguing like we were kids. We both burst into laughter, leaning on each other for support.

Once we had calmed down, Scott sat up straight. "As much as I miss our old life, I love our new one." He said "I mean, I have a great girlfriend and you've got a great boyfriend. Mom loves her job, we have a great life."

I nodded in agreement. "Not perfect though."

"No. If life was perfect, dad would be live and mom wouldn't be crying herself to sleep every night."

Scott and I looked at one another.

"Thank you." I told him, after a few minutes of silence.

"For what?" he asked, confused.

"After dad...you really stepped up. I don't know where mom and I would be without you."

"Are you kidding? You and mom are the only reasons I haven't gone completely insane." He said quietly.

I smiled at him "I love you Scott"

"I love you too sis."

**A/N: Ok, firstly, I know it was really short- sorry! And, even though it seems like a filler...it's not. You'll see the significance of some of the parts of this later in the story. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hello all! I know, I know...this is crazy late. But better late than never though, I suppose? Anyway, on with it...**

The next few months passed trouble-free, for the most part anyway. We had the occasional run in with Marcie, but apart from that, things were going great. Up until one Saturday night...

It was about 10.30pm, and Vee, Scott, Patch and I were sat on the floor in our lounge, watching a boring action film the boys had chosen and eating ice-cream, when the doorbell rang.

I looked at Scott "Did you invite anyone else over?" I asked, wondering why someone was at our door this late on a Saturday night.

He shook his head "Maybe mom forgot her keys before she went out for dinner with her work lot?" he suggested

"Nope" I replied "She made sure she had them before she left"

"Well...shouldn't we answer the door? It could be important..." Vee said

Scott nodded and jumped up, heading to the door- Patch following suit.

"Men" Vee retorted, rolling her eyes.

I started to laugh but stopped abruptly when Scott and Patch returned, followed by Detective Briel, who looked like he was about to deliver bad news.

"What's going on?" I asked, getting up.

Daniel looked at Patch and Vee, not seeming comfortable with the fact that they were in the room. He then looked at Scott and I "Guys...Rixon escaped."

And just like that, my world came crashing down. Again.

Things changed drastically from then on. Scott and I always had to go to school together and if Scott was busy, Patch would be with me most of the times.

We weren't allowed out apart from school and work (for Scott). It was as though we were on house arrest.

"It's not fair. We have to suffer, yet we've done nothing wrong!" I moaned to Patch as he drove me back from school the following Friday.

"I know Angel, but it's for your own safety. Until this psycho is back behind bars, I'm your personal bodyguard." He replied, pulling up outside my house.

"That I can live with" I smirked, unbuckling my seatbelt.

Patch grinned at me and turned the engine off. "I can't come in today" he said, suddenly frowning.

"Oh" I replied, not hiding my disappointment "Why not?"

"I'm pulling a double shift at work, but I can call in sick if you want? You don't have to be alone..."

"Don't be silly. Scott will be home from work in two hours and mom in three. I won't be alone for long."

Patch still looked uncomfortable at the idea of leaving me alone.

"I'll text you the whole time I'm alone" I promised

He still didn't seem too happy so I leaned over to him, sealing the promise with a kiss. I finally pulled away, purely for the need of breathing.

"I should go" Patch sighed after a while.

I nodded and went to get out of the car.

"I'll call you later" Patch said

"I look forward to it" I said, quickly kissing him. I watched as Patch drove away, and then made my way back into the house.

It was probably a good idea Patch didn't come down. It gave me time to finish my homework and get all the house chores done. I was about to turn the TV on when my phone started to ring.

_Vee._ The caller ID informed me.

"Aren't you supposed to be with my brother?" I laughed as I answered the phone

Silence.

I frowned "Vee?"

All I could hear on the other end was heavy breathing.

"Vee can't come to the phone right now"

I froze, recognising the voice instantly. Rixon.

"Let her go. She's got nothing to do with this." I said; my stomach clenching.

"Oh, if only it were that simple." Rixon replied, with a humourless laugh.

"What do you want?"

"Revenge."

"Revenge? You're the one who killed MY father"

"He saw too much. He was a liability."

"The cops are onto you. They will find you and-"

"And what? Put me in prison? Been there, done that. Didn't agree with me."

"What. Do. You. Want?" I said through gritted teeth.

"You. Well...actually, I want your whole family dead but you'll do for now."

"Come and get me then" I said, trying to steady my panicked voice

"Hmm, now where's the fun in that?" Rixon retorted "No. You'll come to me."

"Oh? And what makes you so sure?"

"Well, if you don't...I'll kill your little friend here. And then everyone else you and your family have ever given a damn about"

I took a deep breath. "Where are you?"

Rixon laughed again "Good girl. We're at your school. I don't like to be kept waiting."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Ten minutes."

"Fine." I said, glancing at the clock

"Oh, and Nora? Do not even think about bringing anyone else with you, or calling the cops. Because I will know and I will kill Vee."

I hung up and stared at my phone, debating the idea of calling Scott or Patch...or even Daniel. But I couldn't risk it. Not when it was Vee's life at stake. No. I had to do this alone and would have to pray for the best.

I somehow managed to make it to the school in just under ten minutes. I stared at the building in front of me. The parking lot was empty and the school seemed eerily quiet.

I jumped slightly as I heard my phone ring. I answered it quickly, my hand shaking.

"You made it here in good time. Well done." Rixon said

I looked up at the building, trying to figure out which window he was standing at.

"Nice try, Nora. You'll see me very soon though."

"Where are you?" I asked bitterly

"Come up to the dining hall"

The line went dead.

I glanced behind me one last time and then walked into the building, not really knowing what to expect.

Walking through the empty hall ways sent chills down my spine, so I quickened my pace, practically running into the dining hall.

"Vee?" I shouted "Where are you?"

I looked around the dining hall, my heart beating fast. That's when I realised Vee wasn't there. She probably wasn't even in the school building.

"He tricked me." I choked out. My stomach tightened and I suddenly felt dizzy.

I slowly turned around when I heard a clapping coming from behind me.

Rixon.

I felt the anger bubble inside of me at the sight of his face.

His face was the last face my father saw before he met his untimely death.

It was probably going to be the last face I was going to see.

"You figured it out pretty quickly. Vee was never here. She does need to learn to look after her phone properly though. It was far too easy for me to steal it from her."

"I'm here now. Go ahead, kill me."

Rixon smirked "I could do that. But that would be too easy. And not at all fun. So instead, we're going to play a little game of cat and mouse. You try and hide somewhere in this school of yours and when you've run out of places to hide...that's when I'll kill you."

"This is some kind of sick game to you, isn't it?"

Rixon shrugged casually. "Pretty much...yeah."

"Games usually have rules don't they?"

"You're a fast learner. There's only one rule to this game though."

"Which is?"

"I always win."

Rixon then pulled out a gun, holding it delicately. He saw me staring at it and winked at me.

"Let the game begin."

And I ran.

**A/N: Well, well, well, what has Nora gotten herself into? Will she escape? And if so, how? All shall be revealed very soon. Reviews would be much appreciated! **


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